Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-05-19

After a time she slipped softly from his
| grasp and lay back again upon her mothers
low couch. Her hand was ciasped in his, a
smile Of gladness hovered about her eyes and
I mouth
The door opened, and Robert DumOray
came and stood beside them. Shirley turned
| from one to the other with the sweet, bright
| look in her face. She had never looked SO
beautiful, both of them thought
EYou have seen Robert, she said TO the
master. HE is the dearest TO me Of all the
brothers, aud he is your SON."
She undid her fingers from the masters
clasp, and took Roberts hand and laid it
softly where hers had been So they stood
with clasped hands, father and SON Shirley
laid her own hot, quiyering hand upon their
two, her eyes turned upward to their faces,
still with the look of ineffable love and Joy.
Her face was the face of an angel. .t-.I
Then her eyes closed, her fingers slipped
away and fell across her breast, her breath
came in quick gasps. Both men, father and
son, sprang toward her. An unearthly fear
compressed the masters heart -.
"Good Godl" said he, Sshe Is ILL" r...
| She opened her eyes and smiled family
back at him. Then she rallied and came to
herself again. She lay there, with her cheek
against his hand, and the look of a great,
sweet content in her face Indeed, it was the
face of one who had not an earthly wish left
to be gratiied. .t-. =
"Yes," said Robert, Shirley is not well.
"She Is a saint and martyr, if there ever
was one on earth. But she shan't work any
more. / shall work for her from this on.
When she gets better I'm going to take her
away, across the water to England with
Brownie and me. Shirley is ours, now." ,.
"No," said his father, SHIRLEY is mine"
| But in the morning all these thoughts were
| swallowed up in one supreme fear. She who
had never been i'll in her life lay faint and
low and well nigh breathless.
| A change had indeed come to Shirley.
Love, tender care, rest, hope, the brightest
hopes, all had come at last Had they come
| too late?
Word went abroad that Shirley was dying.
Shirley, the well beloved. Once more. even
as when Col. Carstone was stricken, a thronR
pressed about the doors of the stone house.
Men and women and little children, the poor
and the lowly and the weak, came to the
stone house and went away weeping and say
ing: .. ...a.'. . ....s
ave are losing our best friend!"
Within its walls Brownie, the wayward,
the self -indulgent and light Of thought, flung
herself down and wept most bitterly of all.
Into the blameless, marvellous life had
passed the music of the poem which Shirley
had never written.
One by one the friends who were the nearest
crept with awe stricken faces to the room with
the western windows out of which Shirley
had gazed so often and so wearily, and longed
to fly away and follow the sun in his fight,
Shirley knew them ALL The clear, great
brain never lost itself But most of oil her
eyes turned wearily toward the sky where
| the western sun was going down. Clouds of
| gold and purple, of crimson and opal lay all
along the way, like unto the opening of the
gates of the celestial city.
| She turned her eyes back upon her dear
ones. Her glance wandered moment, then
fixed itself on a little locked ebony box, of
quaint, antique workmanship. 1t had been
| her fathers. ...... t. .-...
Bring that" she said to Harry
She gave it into the hands of Philip Du-
moray. She spoke family and with diff
Guilty. .r. .
"There are some papers," she said to the
master. ,.r.,..., ..,r.......t. ...- .
The old doctor was beside her, dumb witha a
grief that not all his long years of profes-
sional training could control. The Presby-
terian minister was there. He was very aged
now, and trembling and shadow like He was
her faithful friend. For twenty years they
| two had been brave comrades in good works.
Was he to be left alone now?
His wavering fingers stroked the long,
shining hair as it lay loose across the pillow,
they rested in benediction upon her dying
head. Unconsciously he murmured the bless
ing of brave old John Bunyan: